Ideally, devices used for holding or transferring parts in a robotic operated factory need to be automatically operated to facilitate hands-free operations or eliminate human interventions. This improves the speed of manufacturing and reduces injuries to or mistakes by human operators. In this way, automated factories will ultimately produce higher quality products at lower operational cost, which may increase profits to manufacturing companies or reduce cost to consumers, thereby allowing domestic companies to be more competitive in the world markets.
Currently, the available devices for holding or transferring parts to be processed on an automated factory line require some human operations, for example, they must be manually enabled and disabled (coupled and uncoupled) at a plurality stations. These human operated devices increase product cycle time, and may inadvertantly result in injuries to the human operators thereby increasing the cost of production and manufacturing. Moreover, the laborious and repetitive nature of this coupling and uncoupling operations make it ideal for automation.
With multi-function end effector, operators currently use special tools to couple and to uncouple the end effector, this repetitive function only increases the processing time and the opportunity for accidents. Additional delays are incurred on some multi-function end effector, because high degrees of precision (accuracy) are required. As a result, operators have to frequently re adjust the couplings to maintain the desired precision.
Thus, what is needed is a robotic assembling device that automatically couples and uncouples, while maintaining a high degree of accuracy at the coupling joints to facilitate hands free operation.